"Dirty Gold" - Angel Haze [Spotify Full Album Stream]

Angel Haze has officially released her album Dirty Gold today, following a clash with her record label that resulted in her leaking the album on SoundCloud earlier this month ahead of its scheduled release date. This is Angel Haze's debut LP, following her New York EP released in 2012. Producers on the album include Markus Dravs, A Tribe Called Red, Mike Dean, Greg Kurstin, Malay, Jake Gosling, Rudimental, and The 83rd. Another guest, Sia is featured on "Battle Cry."

With the Spotify version containing 16 songs running over 68 minutes, Dirty Gold an epic album that could really be considered a double-LP. Very ambitious for such a new artist, but that's nothing new for Angel Haze who released 30 songs (freestyles and covers) in 30 days earlier this year on her SoundCloud. The question is whether this is too much material for her audience to absorb. Is she sacrificing quality in favor of quantity? The songs are good, but the album might lack focus that could have made it better.

Musically, Angel Haze shows her versatility as a singer and rapper. The backing beats feature lots of layered danceable synths and subtle background vocals that sound really nice. You can hear the New York rap tradition, but you can also hear the flavors of contemporary electronic pop and R&B. Throughout the album, we hear Haze doing spoken word prose and poetry giving insight to what the songs are about and what she is about. It's an innovative album that is very much in line with the musical trends of 2013.

Upon first listen, standout tracks are "Dirty Gold," "Sing About Me," "Planes Fly," "Deep Sea Diver," and "White Lilies / White Lies."

Angel Haze Dirty Gold Tracklist and Production Credits: